MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 14: Enrique Hernández #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers slides safely into home plate to score off an RBI double hit by Andy Pages (not pictured) in the second inning during Game Two of the National League Championship Series presented by loanDepot between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Here are a few other postseason notes, as we wait for Saturday night’s finale of the Division Series, with the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians deciding their ALDS vying for a shot at the Tampa Bay Rays.
“The Brewers will be fresher than they were a year ago, when the Dodgers swept an exhausted team. In this rematch, Milwaukee will also feature the sport’s most disciplined offense, the hardest-throwing pitching staff and, after Wednesday’s smothering of the Padres, the belief they can win big games on the road.”
Scoring has been down this postseason, with both teams scoring at least four runs in only one of 24 games thus far (Game 4 of Guardians-White Sox on Thursday). Bradley Woodrum at Baseball Prospectus looked at the reasons behind the low scoring and the numbers behind the “magical fourth run.”
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 7: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns passes the ball during the game against the Chicago Bulls on October 7, 2026 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to Inside the Suns, a deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team in which the Fantable – a roundtable of Bright Siders – give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: What’s your overall opinion of the Suns after watching the team play in preseason?
zenzino: Between media day and the first two preseason games, there were some highs and some lows. I’m not reading anything into any of it.
I learned last season that expectation is the killer of joy. From some of the takes on the last game thread, this season has seemed to come with some significant expectations from either overall play or individual players. It’s going to be a very long season for some people.
After SL and media day hype, Maluach fans were clamoring to elevate him to the unquestioned starter. That’s not happening. 100% Oso will be the starting center opening night. That’s ok. Just to put Man Man in perspective, Koa Peat is one year younger, but Koa has played basketball 10 more years than Man Man. He is condensing a lot of experience into a relatively short time. He’ll get there. Patience.
We caught a whiff of what Miles Bridges can mean to this team in the first game, followed by the Suns’ ‘injury curse’ in the second. He said he’s fine, but it remains to be seen how much he plays the rest of preseason, and that’s a shame.
It’s now hard to believe that just one year ago Goodie was fighting for that last roster spot and there was some debate whether it should be him or Butler. Both games changed instantly when he entered. I definitely get a certain amount of pleasure knowing some Lakers fans are tearing out their hair knowing the Lakers waived Goodie to keep Brony.
Obviously, the team needs some free-throw practice. The second game was better but not good enough.
I’m not worried about any of the players or rotations at this point. We have no idea how much of this is just testing lineups and processes and how much is actually going to carry through to the regular season.
Ashton: This is on a two-game sample size as of this writing, but wow is it ugly. I would have preferred to get this question next week after the Suns play SA. ESPN is doubting our center position depth, and I thought Oso and KM did “Okay”. Enough to handle Wemby? Probably not.
Sorry, Suns fans, I wanted to write something positive up, but I somehow managed to “turnover” my sunny outlook with two preseason losses. Use the trope “well, it is just preseason” all you want, but I expected way better ball handling than the turnover fest that I have seen. And then there is the crappy three-point shooting where first-half leads magically disappear that seems all too familiar. This looks like a “Sunzy” team. Booker, were you so focused on endorsing Stanley Cups (not hockey) with your dogs that you forgot to shoot threes?
Eh, I am not shifting off my less than 40 wins this season. If that makes me a hater, then so be it. Besides, John Voita already covered the Good, Bad, and Ugly.
Overall, I just think this team is just too raw. The third unit did not help boost my expectations and they need more time in the oven.
OldAz: Number 1 is that the NBA really needs to push the season back and start between Thanksgiving and Christmas (when Football games start to become more scarce. It’s just too early to remember Basketball is on, especially when it’s pre-season. Plus, it would extend the season more into the summer part of the sports calendar when it’s dead.
Number 2 is that my overall opinion will be grossly underinformed because I have only caught about 25% of each game, with heavy weighting to the 2nd halves when the starters were done.
Number 3 is that I think the team will be far more athletic and will be fun to watch. Not sure if that translates to more wins or not.
Rod: I hate to use the word “potential” but there it is. I see a lot of potential, both good and bad, in this team. If they can get the turnovers under control, I see the potential for this to be a 5th or 6th seed team in the West. If not (or they get even worse), there’s a possibility that they won’t even make it to the play-in stage…let along get past it. Can they get those TOs under control? That’s the biggest question for this team right now and unless that gets fixed, this season could turn out badly.
The one thing that is almost 100% unquestionable about this team is that the Suns’ 2nd unit is going to be one of the best (if not the best) in the NBA this season. Watching them play is an absolute joy and my favorite thing about this team at the moment.
Q2: What has surprised you about this team (so far)?
zenzino: Nothing from the players, really. I saw Brooks pass when he had an almost open shot. That was a pleasant surprise.
As far as the coaching side of the team, I am a little surprised that Ott said he’s going to keep the regular season rotation to “at most, a 10-man rotation”. That seems extraordinarily dumb. Why build depth if you’re not going to use it? It’s a long season. If you use your depth, it keeps everyone fresher at the end of the season, reduces chances for injury, and makes sure that if someone does go down, the next man up isn’t starting cold. I don’t understand it.
Ashton: There is usually someone that comes off the bench, and you go “That’s HIM!” Is that statement even a thing now?
I will give the surprise honor to Brooks for good shooting and all-around stats, winning the pillow fight with Benny the Bull, and somehow managing to do it all while under foul pressure. Also, who picks and wins a pillow fight with a bull?
Also, honorable mention shout-outs to Miles Bridges, who seemed to integrate seamlessly with the starting core before his ankle injury. And another surprise belongs to Luke Kennard, whom I expected to jack up perimeter shots but instead showed that he wanted to become an all-around NBA player with his assists. I expect good things from Kennard.
OldAz: That instead of a sophomore leap, KM and Fleming seem to have regressed some (at this point). I know it is early, but both have a great opportunity to step up and earn more minutes and a bigger role. So far, I’m surprised at how “bleh” they have looked, especially Fleming.
Rod: It has surprised me how many three-point shots the starters have been taking, especially since that’s not their strong suit. They’re tied for 12th most three-point attempts per game but 28th in three-point percentage?!? They average 16 3-pt attempts per game out of 34.5 FGAs per game, which works out to 46.7% of their FGAs being threes…not smart. And when you remove Oso’s 3.5 FGA average (obviously no 3-pt attempts by him), 51.6% of the other 4 starters’ FGAs come from beyond the three-point line.
Book especially needs to start doing what he does best, get back into his mid-range game, as 57.1% of his FGA have been from three…with only 8.3% of them falling. That’s NOT a typo: 8.3% from three. And Green needs to slow down on the long-range bombs too as 50% of his shot attempts have been threes, of which he’s hit only 25%. 56.2% of Brooks’ shots have also been from three BUT he has actually been hitting 55.6% of them! Fire away, Dillon! Bridges hasn’t been great from three (33.3%), but he also hasn’t quite gone three-point shot crazy, with only 33.3% of his attempts coming from downtown, so I’m good with his attempts number so far.
The starting unit was not built to play the 3-point game, and they need to get out of that mindset before the regular season begins.
Q3: Jordan Ott has said he’s going to play at most a 10-man rotation when the regular season starts. Which players do you think will wind up OUT of that 10-man rotation?
zenzino: This one came with an instruction to be brief. I can’t help but take that personally. 😉
SMH. If this is the case, I can’t imagine that same 10-man rotation. The last 2 or 3 of the 10 would have to change based on situation/matchups.
Here goes (full contract players only):
Mark Williams: He’s obviously out, and they think he’ll come back in time to help, so he’s keeping his full roster spot.
Koa Peat: He’s a rookie. He’ll spend some time in the G League.
Jamaree Bouyea: With all the guards, he’s the odd man out. I will be shocked if he doesn’t get some minutes when they need a spark.
Haywood Highsmith: Seems like he’s mostly there for insurance. Again, I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get some minutes when they need to spread the floor and ramp up defense.
This leaves Rasheer Fleming and Ryan Dunn. I honestly don’t know. It seems like Sheer hasn’t made the jump in the off-season. My guess is that Dunn will get the minutes to start the season and maybe Sheer will work his way into more minutes.
Again, I find it hard to believe that these guys are going to ride the pine the whole season.
Was that brief?
Ashton: Coach Ott doesn’t have any choice but to play a 10-man rotation, and I expect a lot of that will be on the starting five. Book, welcome to more minutes.
I am not sure if I want to give into the why, but this seems set to me.
Starting 4: Booker, Green, Brooks, and Bridges. No explanation needed.
Center: Who the heck knows, but KM and Oso are kept, so that is six out of the ten. Let’s see how they defend Wemby for the Suns pecking order in the upcoming preseason games.
Last four (like the NCAA tournament, who is in and who is out): Goodie, Kennard, and CG. That is a lot of guards! But CG has to be the first off the bench. And as my colleague, zenzino, on the Fantable once explained many episodes ago, you do not platoon out a second unit at once. Sheer did not impress me against the Bulls, but no way can I say Koa Peat, as he is too raw. Sheer gets the last spot on a ten-man rotation.
Leaving the rest at the end of the bench, waived, cut, etc. But I was not going to sit here and answer this question line by line with a brief description of who is left out. Did I cheat? Yes.
OldAz: This is a layup. 9 of the ones in the rotation are obvious: Book, Green, Bridges, Brooks, Oso, Gillespie, Maluach, Goodwin, and Kennard.
Maluach is all about needing a 2nd center among the top 9. If Williams were healthy, I think he would be forced to earn his minutes more than he will with Williams on the shelf. Goodwin will be a part of the rotation because of Ott’s defensive focus. Kennard is there because he is a vet who knows how to fit in. This leaves Dunn and Fleming fighting for that 10th spot, and IMO the winner and playing time for that 10th person will entirely be determined by what they bring on the defensive side of the ball.
I answered this one backwards, because, as I said in #1, it’s so early in preseason that I would actually have to do some research to even know who the options are beyond these 11. Highsmith? Duop? Bouyeah (more like Bou-“yuck” so far). I don’t see Koa or Chandler breaking into the rotation, even though I have liked what I have seen from each.
Rod: I can’t help but wonder if Ott’s 10-man rotation might not change from game to game. By that I mean, will it be the same 10 guys in the rotation for every game (health permitting)? Would his player rotation change in games against taller/longer teams vs games against smaller/speedier teams?
I think this team just has too much depth to keep the rotation down to 10 players, but this depth, in many cases, could allow Ott to sit/rest certain players with relatively minor injuries by using that depth to solidly fill the rotation vacated by said injured player. Like with Bridges’ “tweaked” ankle, Ott could just hold him out to be on the cautious side even if Bridges felt he could play and use the depth to compensate…while still only playing a 10-man rotation that night.
But that’s beside the point as far as this question is concerned.
In order to be brief, I’m just going to say I agree with what OldAz wrote about the Suns’ top 9 rotation players, and with his assessment that the 10th spot will come down to a choice between Dunn and Fleming. Pretty much no one else has much of a chance of making it into a 10-man rotation without an injury happening. But, as I said earlier, the Suns have such good depth that Ott could use that to give players with relatively minor injuries more time to heal up by using the ‘deep’ bench players in the rotation on certain nights.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“I think we know what it takes to win. We’ve seen it in spurts. It’s just a matter of playing together for a full 48 minutes, putting it all together and just getting more time getting the reps in. I like what we have. I like where we’re at.” – Collin Gillespie
“I feel comfortable bringing the ball up, getting guys in the sets. I’m very comfortable with having the ball in my hands in general. As far making the right read, that is where my head is at right now. Get into the paint, draw two, make the right read.” – Jalen Green
Suns Trivia/History
On October 11, 2008, in a preseason match-up, Denver beat Phoenix 77-72 at the Indian Wells (California) Tennis Garden. The game is noteworthy because it was the first NBA game played outdoors in three decades.
On October 12, 1979, Don Buse made Suns history with Phoenix’s first-ever 3-pointer late in the first quarter of the 1979-80 season opener against Golden State. He made two in one minute, and Paul Westphal hit two in the 3rd quarter, each finishing 2-2 from three. Alvin Scott went 0-1, and Phoenix finished 4-5 on threes as the Suns beat Golden State 97-89 at home.
On October 16, 1969, 4-time All-Star Connie Hawkins made his NBA debut for the Phoenix Suns in a 116-114 win over the San Diego Rockets. The Hawk would lead a trio of 20+ ppg scorers for the Suns (Hawkins – 24.6, Dick Van Arsdale – 21.3 and Gail Goodrich – 20.0) to a 39-43 regular season record (23 wins better than their previous 16-66 record) and their first-ever trip to the NBA playoffs.
Important Future Dates
Oct. 14 – Suns @ Spurs (preseason) 5:00 PM Oct. 16 – Suns vs. Jazz (preseason) 7:00 PM Oct. 19 – All rosters set for NBA Opening Day (5 p.m. ET) Oct. 20 – 2026-27 NBA Season Begins Oct. 24 – NBA G League Draft Oct. 26 – NBA G League Training Camps open Oct. 30 – Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Group Play tips off Nov. 6 – NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament begins Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star 2027 March 1 – Playoff Eligibility Waiver Deadline April 11 – 2026-27 Regular Season ends (All 30 teams play) April 12 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2027 (3 p.m. ET) April 13-16 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament April 17 – NBA Playoffs 2026 begin
There are a few known and lesser-known Cubs prospects in this entry of Cub Tracks.
Go, Clevelanders!!! The Guardians are one game from advancing to the ALCS. We owe the fans of Cleveland for 2016, when they became the organization with the WS longest drought. Go Everyone Associated with Cleveland!
Iron Mike (RIP):
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Lockout on Everyone’s Mind:
Matthew Nethercott (Diamond Centric): Here’s Why MLB Owners Will Avoid A Lengthy 2027 Lockout. “Baseball’s looming labor dispute could threaten the 2027 season, but a little-discussed provision involving MLB’s television contracts may give owners a powerful incentive to reach an agreement.”
Matthew Nethercott (Diamond Centric): MLB Owners Propose Major Changes to Regular Season & Postseason Format. “A 154-game regular season, seven-game Division Series and a new system allowing teams to select playoff opponents are among the proposed changes tied to a salary cap agreement.”
Minors/Pipeline:
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): MLB Pipeline Names Its Cubs Prospects of the Year. “Ayers’ breakout year certainly deserves the nod, but so does that of Josiah Hartshorn and his incredible pro debut. My guess was that we would see various platforms go in either direction.”
Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball): Cubs Farmhand Miguel Useche is Surging, Against All Odds. “From independent ball to Double-A, Miguel Useche has already come a long way. Can he complete an improbable journey to the big leagues?”
Free Agents/Arbitration:
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Ranking the Cubs’ Contract Option Decisions, from Easiest to Toughest. “Eight members of the Cubs have options in their contract for 2027. Most of them will be declined, in one way or another, but for the team, the decisions break in each direction—and, mostly, they figure to be pretty easy.”
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): How Cubs Should Handle Their 11 Arbitration-Eligible Players This Fall. “The Cubs won’t have to fork over big money for their fistful of arbitration-eligible players this offseason. That’s the good news. The bad news is, they’d really love to have to pay some of them more.”
Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Where the Cubs Stand After an Abrupt End to the 2026 Season. “The Cubs’ 2026 season ended abruptly after entering the postseason with World Series aspirations. Now, several questions need answers this offseason.”
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Nico Hoerner on What the Cubs Can Take Away from a Two-Game Wild Card Sweep. “Among the topics about which I most wanted to hear is the dichotomy between the playoffs being THE PLAYOFFS, and also being just two games. How much can a player take away from something like that?
In the early 1960s, Butterfield met aspiring blues guitarist Elvin Bishop. Bishop recalled:
He [Butterfield] was playing more guitar than harp when I first met him. But in about six months he became serious about the harp, and he seemed to get about as good as he got in that six months. He was just a natural genius. This was in 1960 or 1961. By this time Butter had been hanging out in the ghetto for a couple of years, and he was part of the scene and getting accepted.
Eventually, Butterfield, on vocals and harmonica, and Bishop, accompanying him on guitar, were offered a regular gig at Big John’s, a folk club in the Old Town district on Chicago’s near North Side. With this booking, they persuaded bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay (both from Howlin’ Wolf’s touring band) to form a group with them in 1963. Their engagement at the club was highly successful and brought the group to the attention of record producer Paul A. Rothchild.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
Baseball: NL Wild Card Playoff: MLB commissioner Rob Manfred with Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort on field before game vs Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Chicago, IL 10/2/2018 CREDIT: Jeff Haynes (Photo by Jeff Haynes /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X162181 TK1 )
Good morning, Rockies fans!
Major League Baseball is apparently interested in giving us a little less baseball.
On Thursday, MLB unveiled its latest proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement, including a reduction of the regular season from 162 games to 154 beginning in 2029. The 154-game schedule was once baseball’s standard, before the American League expanded to 162 games in 1961 and the National League followed in 1962.
For the Colorado Rockies, that would mean 77 home games at Coors Field and 77 on the road, instead of 81 each. That, of course, would also make a .500 record 77-77 instead of 81-81.
The number of games isn’t the only proposed change. MLB also wants a scheduled weekly off-day, generally on Mondays, and four doubleheaders against division opponents, further reducing the number of days teams would take the field. The additional rest could benefit Colorado’s pitching staff, although those doubleheaders could create their own challenges.
So, just how important are eight games?
The Rockies have never won the NL West. The closest they have ever come was in 2018, when they finished tied with the Dodgers for first place after 162 games, only to lose Game 163.
After Game 154, Colorado was 84-70 and 1.5 games behind Los Angeles. The Rockies then won seven of their final eight games to force the tiebreaker.
Of course, for a franchise accustomed to looking up at the rest of the division, a shorter season might just mean eight fewer games spent doing so.
Despite a fourth consecutive 100-loss season, Maddy Dickens believes the Rockies have enough encouraging pieces to justify an aggressive offseason. With Hunter Goodman leading an improving offense and some positive developments in the bullpen, Dickens argues that addressing the starting rotation should be a priority for Paul DePodesta. It’s an optimistic assessment of where Colorado stands heading into 2027.
With Paul DePodesta preparing for his first full offseason leading the Rockies, changes to the roster seem inevitable. Sports Illustrated’s Ben Fisher examines which Colorado player could be on the move as the organization looks toward 2027. The question isn’t simply who might be available, but what kind of return the Rockies could get as they reshape the roster.
FanGraphs’ Brendan Gawlowski included Rockies prospect Andy Perez in his Arizona Fall League scouting notebook. Perez’s bat-to-ball skills caught his attention, but so did his aggressive approach at the plate. The ability to make contact is there, though improving his swing decisions could go a long way toward determining how much offensive value he ultimately provides.
Jared Thomas is making some noise in the Arizona Fall League. The Rockies’ No. 10 prospect launched his first home run for the Salt River Rafters, sending the ball 417 feet. After an injury-interrupted season, Thomas is getting some valuable extra playing time this fall, and this is a pretty good way to make use of it.
The White Sox and Guardians have spent all season battling for supremacy in the AL Central, and now it comes down to one game. In their 17 meetings this year, eight have been decided by a single run, including four walk-offs. Will Leitch looks at the biggest storylines heading into Saturday night’s winner-take-all Game 5, including José Ramírez’s resurgence and Chicago’s unconventional pitching strategy.
Following an entertaining Division Series between the Brewers and Padres, Matthew Roberson takes a look back at the best Division Series in MLB history. Since the format became a permanent part of the postseason in 1995, there have been plenty of memorable October moments. Roberson ranks the ten best series, giving baseball fans something to debate while we wait for the next round.
J.J. Cooper examines how the Brewers and Padres combined for the hardest-throwing game of the pitch-tracking era, averaging 95.3 mph across all pitches on October 3. It’s an interesting look at how much velocity has increased across baseball.
Should a team save its ace for a potential Game 7, or use him earlier to improve its chances of getting there? Ben Clemens examines the math behind postseason pitching decisions and whether teams are better off using their best starters early or saving them for the biggest possible moments.
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 03: A general view of Progressive Field prior to Game One of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Saturday, October 3, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Leigh Bacho/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB Playoffs continue today, and it looks like my complaining from yesterday paid off, because we’ve finally got a Game 5! The American League Division Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians will conclude tonight, one way or another.
As of the time this is being written, only the White Sox have announced a starting pitcher, which will be right-hander Sean Burke.
Tonight’s game starts at 5:00 p.m. and will air on TBS/HBO Max, with national radio coverage available on ESPN Radio.
Personally, I think I’m rooting for the White Sox still, although it was brought to my attention that Cleveland hasn’t won a World Series since 1948. So I don’t think I’ll be unhappy with either result, since I don’t actually have a vested interest in either team.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Coby Mayo #16 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Colton Cowser #17 after scoring in the first inning during game two of a double header against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
There was no baseball yesterday, and it seems like the Orioles avoided stepping on yet another rake. So, there is little content on which to blog. But we will prevail!
There will be a decisive Game 5 in the ALDS this evening. The White Sox and Guardians will face off at 8 p.m. in Cleveland. TBS/HBO Max has the broadcast.
University of Maryland product Sean Burke will start for the ChiSox. He was quite good this season (11-7, 3.34 ERA, 172.1 IP, 4.2 bWAR). What has allowed him to excel? Well, according to Burke himself: “This is my life. I don’t have family, no girl, no kids. This is all I do.” I suppose that does give you more time to hone your craft…but, like, are you going OK, Sean?
Burke later clarified that he didn’t literally mean he had no family. In fact, a bunch of them celebrated on the field with him when the White Sox clinched the playoffs. Rather, he seems to have meant that he doesn’t have a current long-term romantic relationship or kids. He gave an individual shoutout to his mom, so I would bet she in particular did not love the quote. Probably good that he got all of that sorted out before Thanksgiving rolls around next month.
Back to the baseball. My rooting interests are with the White Sox tonight. If they win, that will mean it is a White Sox/Rays ALCS, two teams that the Orioles had winning records against this season. It just feels fitting that this mediocre American League yields a World Series representative that our frustratingly sub-par favorite team handled in the regular season and yet it was the rest of the field that gave them so much trouble. It could be you guys out there!
Links
Sonny Gray Plans To Pitch In 2027 | MLB Trade Rumors This is not Orioles-related, but it could be! We know Mike Elias loves to sign old starting pitchers. Gray seems to prefer East Coast teams. And he has said he wants to win a World Series. Now, let’s admit that the Orioles are NOT the team you think of when dreaming about the postseason, but maybe they could be? Gray had a 2.72 ERA over 169 innings in 2026. He has thrown 166 innings or more in four straight seasons.
How Cowser believes he can return to form for O’s in ’27 | Orioles.com Ah yes, Colton Cowser, the topic of the rift between Jim Palmer and Craig Albernaz. He is a player that will be under the microscope a bit in 2027. His glove is so good that he needs to be in the lineup pretty much everyday regardless of matchup, but he has serious trouble with left-handed pitching. They should try to fix that.
Taking another look at the bullpen | Roch Kubatko This is one area of the team that feels pretty good going into the offseason. They should not just assume they will continue to ascend in 2027, but it’s a good starting point. At the very least, Félix Bautista, Ryan Helsley, and Yennier Cano should be a solid veteran trio you can trust most nights. Rico Garcia should have his spot as well. They probably need to go find a lefty that they feel similarly about, though Josh Walker and Grant Wolfram have their backers.
Kyle Goon: Are the Orioles listening? Their fans think they aren’t. | The Banner The Orioles have not been a winning baseball team for two full seasons now, and they completely fell apart back in 2024. Meanwhile, Elias has gotten a promotion and spoken about making his department bigger this offseason, the new owner who has presided over the losing is writing books about being an owner, and the employees that actually make Camden Yards an enjoyable experience have gotten fired. So yeah, it doesn’t feel fair, and the Orioles should have some sense of that when they make these decisions.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Luis Vázquez turns 27 today. The utility infielder has emerged in Baltimore occasionally in each of the last two seasons, though he played in just one game in 2026.
Nick Vespi is 31 years old. He pitched out of the Orioles bullpen for parts of three seasons from 2022 through ‘24, compiling a 3.88 ERA over 53.1 total innings.
The late Gordie Sundin (b. 1937, d. 2016) was born on this day. He pitched in one big league game, which took place with the Baltimore Orioles in 1956.
This day in O’s history
1979 – The Orioles score five runs in the first inning of Game 1 of the World Series, and cling onto those runs in order to prevail 5-4 over the Pirates.
1996 – The O’s even up the ALCS at one game apiece with a 5-3 win over the Yankees. Rafael Palmeiro hits a seventh inning homer to help lock down the victory.
2012 – Raul Ibańez, who pinch hits for a struggling Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth inning, goes on to hit two key home runs. First, he smacks a game-tying homer off of Orioles closer Jim Johnson in that ninth inning, and then hits a walk-0ff solo shot in the 12th inning off of Brian Matusz to give the Yankees a 3-2 win in Game 3 of the ALDS.
2014 – The O’s drop Game 1 of the ALCS to the Royals 8-6 in extra innings. The Royals score three runs on two homers in the top of the 10th inning to pave the way toward a win.
2023 – The Orioles get swept out of the ALDS by the eventual champion Texas Rangers. Dean Kremer gets knocked around early, while Nathan Eovaldi dominated the Baltimore lineup.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 28: Tommy Novak #18 of the Pittsburgh Penguins moves much against Lian Bichsel #6 of the Dallas Stars at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 28, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Who:Dallas Stars (2-2-0, 4 points, 6th place Central Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2-2-1, 5 points, 4th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally televised and streamed on Prime Video and SportsNet Pittsburgh, streaming for out of market at ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins get two days off after this weekend’s back-to-back before beginning a four-game road trip, which starts Tuesday in Chicago and continues Friday in Denver and Saturday in Las Vegas.
Opponent Track: The Stars were outscored 6-1 in a pair of season-opening losses against the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators, but bounced back by outscoring opponents 9-0 in wins over the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres.
Season Series: The Penguins lost both games in this season series last year, starting with a December shootout loss and ending with a 6-3 home defeat in late March.
Hidden Stat: The Stars have scored nine straight unanswered goals over their last two games. They could set a franchise record if they manage to score five more without allowing a response, per NHL Stats.
Getting to know the Stars
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Sam Steel – Wyatt Johnston – Mikko Rantanen
Jason Robertson – Roope Hintz – Jamie Benn
Justin Hryckowian – Arttu Hyry – Tyler Seguin
Oskar Back – Radek Faksa – Colin Blackwell
DEFENSEMEN
Esa Lindell / Miro Heiskanen
Thomas Harley / Nils Lundkvist
Lian Bichsel / Tyler Myers
Goalies: Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith
Potential scratches: Kyle Capobianco, Joel Kiviranta
Injured Reserve: Matt Duchene
Joel Kiviranta is sitting out the Stars’ two-game road trip with a lower-body injury. The Stars called up Colin Blackwell from the AHL to slot in on the fourth line in his absence.
Jake Oettinger started the Stars’ season opener, during which he allowed two goals on 22 shots in the shutout loss. He’s been perfect since then after stopping 39 consecutive shots against the Sharks and Sabres. The Stars have two days off after tonight’s matchup before a back-to-back against the Colorado Avalanche, so Oettinger could potentially get a third straight start tonight.
Stars first-line winger Mikko Rantanen is heating up. He scored a highlight-reel goal against the Sharks before recording the first four-point night (1-3—4) of his regular-season Stars career in his team’s Thursday night win over the Sabres.
The Stars’ power play, which had struggled through the first three games of the season, broke through Thursday when Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz finished off a passing play against the Sabres.
Another aspect that started clicking for the Stars recently is the addition of Sam Steel, a player Stars coach Glen Gulutzan has described as a “utility knife,” to the top line. He scored his first goal of the season Thursday against the Sabres.
The Penguins defense could be tested tonight with limiting some of their quickest opponents yet. Rantanen said after the Stars’ Thursday win he felt the key to his team’s recent victory streak was better skating.
“We had our legs again, I think that’s the key,” Rantanen said, per NHL.com’s Heather Engel. “Playing well, you need to skate well, and I think the last two games we’ve been playing really fast.”
And now for the Pens
Projected lines (based on Friday’s lineup)
FORWARDS
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Hendrix Lapierre – Ben Kindel – Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Nick Robertson
DEFENSEMEN
Declan Carlile / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kaeden Korczak
Trevor van Riemsdyk / Kris Letang
Goalies: Arturs Silovs (Sergei Murashov started last night)
Ilya Solovyov was listed as a scratch for Friday’s game against the Blue Jackets despite being waived earlier that day. So was newcomer Spencer Stastney, who joined the Penguins Friday but did not play against the Blue Jackets. Muse indicated he could still potentially draw into the defensive lineup going forward.
Bryan Rust moved back up on the top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell ahead of Friday’s game. This line often got hemmed into their own zone Friday and found themselves on the ice for both of the Blue Jackets’ regulation goals, although Rust also scored for the Pens.
Arturs Silovs is in line to start Saturday. Sergei Murashov is in line for some well-deserved rest after weathering 45 shots on goal in Friday’s 3-2 shootout loss.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 22: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets poses for a photo during the Houston Rockets Media Day at Hilton Americas-Houston on September 22, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First off, happy belated birthday to the Easy Money Sniper, who turned 38 on September 29th. That’s certainly a ripe old age in the NBA. Durant was drafted in the 2007 draft, which feels like a different world entirely. There are a couple other 2007 draftees around besides Durant still in the NBA: Mike Conley, Al Horford. Uncle Jeff Green currently is unsigned, and the 28th pick, Tiago Splitter, is an NBA head coach.
This will mark Durant’s 20th season in the NBA, but in some ways it’s hard to tell. Here’s a sample of five Durant seasons, (chosen by rolling a 20 sided die except for one).
PTS
TRB
AST
FG%
FG3%
eFG%
TS%
GP
28.0
8
3.5
.496
.387
.547
.610
66
27.1
6.6
5.0
.523
.413
.581
.626
75
28.2
8.2
5.0
.505
.387
.573
.634
72
25.3
6.5
2.8
.476
.422
.510
.577
74
26
5.5
4.8
.520
.413
.588
.641
78
These are, again, four seasons chosen at random from Durant’s career, and in the last row, last season.
Row one is 2011-2012 (5th Season, OKC, Age 23)
Row two is 2023-2024 (17th Season, PHX, Age 35)
Row three is 2015-2016 (9th Season, OKC (last season), Age 27)
Row four is 2008-2009 (2nd Season, OKC, Age 20)
Row five is 2025-2026 (19th Season, HOU, Age 37)
Over two decades it’s hard to imagine a more consistently excellent offensive player. Other than injury plagued seasons, pretty much every Durant season is within this range, with his MVP season of 2013-2014 in OKC being better still. The point here being, you can really take any season, from almost any point, of Kevin Durant’s entire career, at it will be in line with the five seasons above. He’s just that consistently superb. I might go so far as to say the most consistently good shooter in NBA history.
Why is that important? Well, until we see evidence of a decline, why worry? It’s very hard to see much of any sign of it comparing Kevin Durant’s first season with the Rockets to any other (chosen at random) in his career. Fortunately we got early 20s, mid 20s, 30s season in that sample, and they’re all just excellent KD seasons. Combing through other stats, it’s hard to see signs of decline. I suppose his free throw rate has declined from his absolute offensive peak in his mid 20s, but not that much. His rebounds dropped a bit. His percentages, though, held fast.
So what should we expect from Kevin Durant? Until proven otherwise, more of the same.
Durant also made a point at Rockets Media Day that he wouldn’t like to see his minutes reduced. At first I thought this was annoying. Of course he should see his minutes reduced, wear and tear, and so forth. He’s 38. Looking at his career, looking at last season, I’ve changed my mind. He probably should play his career average minutes per game – about 36. Last season was 36.4, his career average is 36.7. What you see in his career, overall, is that he goes down for fairly catastrophic, traumatic, or one off, injuries, and otherwise he plays about 75 games a season. Why tamper with it? The Rockets aren’t depending on five to eight more years of KD. He went out injured for the playoffs, but I’m far from sure that was some reflection of playing a lot of minutes in the regular season, because he usually does that, even when plays a lot of playoff minutes as well. He did fairly recently in Phoenix.
I think, also, that Durant, if he doesn’t get these minutes, will become more of an irritant for the team than merely the fallout from a possible burner social media account, slagging off teammates, and the way the Rockets play. I believe Kevin Durant wants to climb further up the ladder of all time scoring. He’s not going to get the counting stats he needs to do that without playing a lot of games, and playing a lot of minutes. So I think he will do both, if he is at all able to do so.
Watching Durant closely for a season though, made me reconsider one of the main media talking points regarding KD. Namely “Durant fits anywhere, in any system.” I don’t quite see it that way anymore. Instead of viewing KD as fluidly blending with his teammates, I see more of a player who is almost entirely self-contained. That doesn’t mean he won’t play with the team, but more that he doesn’t really need anything more from them than the ball. Actions would be nice, screens would help, timely passing is good. But does KD absolutely require it? Not at all.
I now see him more as the famous soloist who comes to play with a symphony or other ensemble. You’ve brought in the world renown violinist, and everyone wants to see the fireworks show. He’ll work with the orchestra, of course he will, but he’s the star for that program, not your resident first chair. Does he deliver? Yes, I think he does. Anywhere, and everywhere. It’s not exactly your hometown orchestra anymore, but it’s definitely impressive stuff.
Does he love what he does? Obviously so. The passion, dedication, talent and artistry are all clearly there, even now. Does he love playing for you, your town, though? Certainly. Inasmuch as he loves playing. But you are no more or less special than anyone else who can pay his wage, and let him practice his craft. He’s won all the awards, and prizes, now he just wants his output to be something maybe two or three players all time can match. To be an elite of the elite.
Like that famous soloist, though, he’s happy enough to pack up the fiddle and move on. And like that stereotypical virtuoso, he’s temperamental, egotistical, and not especially cognizant of lesser talents around him. There’s nothing quite like him, but strangely, there don’t seem to be many tears shed when he moves on to the next gig.
I think Kevin Durant will have another virtuoso Kevin Durant season, and will thankfully not attempt to initiate the offense. The fact that there isn’t much conducting going on with the offense matters not at all to KD. He doesn’t need it. He never has.
With 11 days until the 2026-27 regular-season opener and nine until the NBA’s rookie contract extension deadline, Brandin Podziemski and the Warriors came to terms Saturday morning on a new deal that should make both sides happy.
Podziemski and the Warriors landed on a five-year, $110 million contract extension, Podziemski’s agent Bill Duffy told ESPN’s Shams Charania. The contract is fully guaranteed and has a mutual option in the final season and a trade kicker, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater. The mutual option allows both sides to opt in, not out, for the 2031-32 season.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said at the end of last season and throughout the offseason that he wanted to reach an agreement and avoid restricted free agency. Podziemski was on the same page and has learned from experience seeing how two young Warriors went through much different routes.
Moses Moody signed a three-year, $39 million extension right at his deadline two years ago. That same offseason, the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga couldn’t come to terms. The two sides then went through an ugly restricted free agency. Kuminga was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks at last season’s trade deadline and signed a two-year, $12.4 million contract to join the Minnesota Timberwolves in late August.
“I think both seeing him and Moses do two different things for me helped, just seeing the goods and bads to both sides,” Podziemski said in April. “I don’t think one is better than the other, but seeing that as a teammate and seeing how they handled both situations, I think is going to help me.”
The contract that Podziemski signed is far greater than any dollar amounts Kuminga and Moody have seen in their careers. Kuminga and Moody were taken in the lottery of the 2021 NBA draft when Bob Myers still was general manager and the Warriors were in a different position. Podziemski was taken with the No. 19 pick two years later in Dunleavy’s first draft as GM, and he has played well above his slot ever since.
Fans were going to be loud about Podziemski’s next contract no matter what the final numbers finished at. That’s their prerogative. Those also are feelings of opinions much more than facts.
While others like Brandon Miller continue to wait, several players from the 2023 draft class have signed extensions this offseason. Victor Wembanyama (five years, $255.2 million), Amen Thompson (five years, $208 million), Ausar Thompson (five years, $155 million) and Keyonte George (five years, $155 million) are all players picked ahead of Podziemski in the 2023 draft who have jumped into a pile of cash the last few months. Podziemski wasn’t going to reach those numbers, but nobody should be surprised that he was given nine figures.
When assessing what Podziemski was going to sign for, there were two recent contracts to look at: Peyton Watson’s four-year, $88 million deal and Ayo Dosunmu’s five-year, $112 million contract. Podziemski’s average annual value of his contract evens out to the same $22 million as Watson’s and comes in just shy of Dosunmu’s total.
The Timberwolves signed Dosunmu in July following his fifth year in which he averaged 14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game between them and the Chicago Bulls, shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 43.9 percent from three. Podziemski is entering his fourth year and in Year 3 averaged 13.8 points (a career high), 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three.
But the Warriors saw Podziemski scale-up in the absences of Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler last season, and then performed admirably in the play-in tournament. Podziemski from the start of March to the end of the regular season regularly was often guarded by the opponent’s best defender and averaged 18.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three over a 22-game span.
He scored 17 points and had seven rebounds in the Warriors’ play-in win against the LA Clippers, and then had a team high in points (23) and rebounds (10) two days later in Phoenix.
Podziemski was one of 18 players in the NBA to play all 82 games last season. He has consistently been one of the best rebounding guards in the league since the start of his career and finishes in the top three of charges taken every year. Podziemski led the Warriors in plus/minus as a rookie, was third in his second season and seventh last year in the team’s injury-filled season. He has the second-highest total plus/minus on the Warriors over the last three seasons.
Among his draft class, Podziemski ranks fourth in total win shares (13.4) and fifth in VORP (3.4).
Signing Podziemski now does continue to cut into the Warriors’ salary cap space next offseason after also signing Curry to an extension, but it’s far from detrimental. Podziemski’s extension only counts as roughly 11 percent of the projected year-to-year salary cap. From a value perspective, Podziemski continues to be a Warriors win.
The Warriors are betting on continued growth of someone who remains the youngest player on the 15-man roster going into his fourth season, and he has shown all the signs to earn their trust. It’s good business for the Warriors in keeping a good, impactful player, concurrently maintaining financial flexibility in the future.
How will Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur fare today? Here is what to know, including kick-off time, TV channels and live stream options
The sense of desperation will be strong as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur arrive at Old Trafford with both teams in bad need of a win to change the narrative around their disappointing seasons so far.
Anything less than three points would further increase the pressure on Michael Carrick and Roberto De Zerbi, both of whom are fighting to prove they are the right people for their respective jobs. Saturday’s match could be pivotal.
The Hamilton Hammers will be without 22-year-old defenseman Isaiah George for the foreseeable future after he sustained an apparent upper-body injury in their 5-4 shootout loss against the Toronto Marlies.
"He'll be out for a bit," Hammers head coach Jay McKee said postgame.
Since joining the Islanders organization in 2024-25, George has struggled to stay healthy, dealing with multiple injuries seemingly every season.
In 2024-25, George played 33 NHL games, but halfway through the season, he sustained a concussion after a reverse hit from Max Domi's elbow. When he returned, he struggled to regain his effectiveness.
Then, in 2025-26, when defenseman Alexander Romanov went down with a few injuries, the Islanders couldn't recall George because he was injured on both occasions. That led to the Islanders ultimately having to acquire Carson Soucy to fill the hole.
The Islanders began this season with tremendous depth, particularly on the left side.
But just a month into this season, they've lost Romanov to a torn right ACL, and now George goes down as well.
That means Long Island native Marshall Warren is now the No. 1 left-side defenseman in the system.
The Islanders currently have right-shot defenseman Matt Kessel at seventh defenseman, with Scott Mayfield expected to start for a second straight game.
The best ability is availability and it's just been tough sledding for George, who is now in the final season of his three-year entry-level deal.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar has been suspended for two games by NHL Player Safety for his illegal check to the head on New York Islanders captain Bo Horvat at 18:27 of the third period in Thursday's 4-1 Islanders victory:
Horvat was forced to go down the tunnel, likely due to concussion protocol. He was still being evaluated when we spoke with head coach Pete DeBoer on Friday morning.
Through four games this season, Horvat has four goals and one assist.
The Philadelphia Flyers enter their sixth game of the season carrying an 0-3-2 record, and they are the last team in the Eastern Conference without a win. Things won't get any easier on Saturday afternoon, as they'll face a 3-2-0 Boston Bruins team at TD Garden at 1 p.m. in their first midday game of the season.
On Thursday, the Flyers played their best game of the season against Ottawa, though the bar, at this point, is pretty low for that standard.
Matvei Michkov scored the Flyers' first power play goal of the season, and new free agent signing Michael Bunting made his Flyers debut, though he took the penalty the Senators would score on to tally the game-winning goal in the 2-1 defeat of Philadelphia.
With Joseph Woll getting the start on Thursday night, it is likely Dan Vladar's turn to tend goal for the Flyers as head coach Rick Tocchet and Co. look to rotate their goalies on this back-to-back; the Flyers will come home to host Carolina on Sunday night.
Veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen accompanied the team for this three-game road trip, but it's currently unclear if he'll return for Saturday afternoon's game against the Bruins.
If not, the Flyers are in action again on Sunday night and Tuesday night.
In any event, this is clearly the Flyers' first must-win game of the season, especially with so many players struggling at the moment. If they lose six in a row, well, they'll have lost their last 10 games dating back to last season's playoffs, and this season's playoffs will begin to look like a pipe dream.
Flyers lines vs. Bruins
Travis Konecny - Sean Couturier - Porter Martone
Trevor Zegras - Christian Dvorak - Owen Tippett
Tyson Foerster - Denver Barkey - Matvei Michkov
Michael Bunting - Noah Cates - Noel Acciari
Travis Sanheim - Jamie Drysdale
Cam York - David Jiricek
Nick Seeler - Simon Benoit
Dan Vladar (S), Joseph Woll
Bruins lines for Flyers game
Morgan Geekie - Pavel Zacha - David Pastrnak
Marat Khusnutdinov - Fraser Minten - J.J. Peterka
Casey Mittelstadt - Elias Lindholm - James Hagens
Tanner Jeannot - Matt Poitras - Mark Kastelic
Hampus Lindholm - Will Borden
Nikita Zadorov - Connor Clifton
Frederic Brunet - Mason Lohrei
Flyers special teams
Power play: 1-for-15, 6.7% (29th)
Penalty kill: 15-for-20, 75% (22nd)
Bruins special teams
Power play: 3-for-14, 21.4% (16th)
Penalty kill: 15-for-18, 83.3% (14th)
How to watch the Flyers game
Saturday afternoon's Flyers game can be found on NHL Network, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NESN, Sportsnet East, and TVAS. 97.5 The Fanatic will have the radio broadcast.
Flyers player to watch
Porter Martone has not had an easy go at the start of his first professional season, but he's too smart and talented to stay quiet for this long.
Martone was dragging his teammates into the fight against Tampa Bay on Monday night, though he finished the game without a shot on goal, the third such instance for him this season.
The 19-year-old scored his first NHL goal, an overtime winner, against the Bruins back on April 5, in addition to his assist on Christian Dvorak's tuck to open the scoring.
The Flyers haven't quite depended on Martone so much as, say, Tyson Foerster, and his flying under the radar might create the opportunity for him to do some damage against the Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
SAN ANTONIO, TX -OCTOBER 8: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates a basket against Atlanta Hawks in the first half of the preseason game at Frost Bank Center on October 8, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This article is for those of you who hesitate to mess with technological changes in their life. And I mean the “I still have CDs and won’t download music apps” people. The “I have and iPhone 8 that is so old it has to live on a charger and it refuses to updates” types, this is for you. I’m talking to the “I maxed out my cloud but rather spend hours deleting my old photos and videos than pay $7” version of an adult. I will die on my mountain of technology that became outdated but I simply could not let it go and it piled up….literally.
For you I say — DAZN was not as harsh a transition as I made it out to be in my head. You’d have thought I was buying a car for how long I spent attempting to research. In the end it was simple. I downloaded an app, chose Spurs, signed up a free week-long trial (I think I literally said “that’s where they get you” and realized (a) I really am becoming the best/worst old man version of myself, and (b) I was talking out loud to no one), and then chose a plan. Immediately I had access to some Spurs content that had been uploaded — mostly the 50th anniversary “Ring of the Rowel” series and Summer League highlights.
I watched Thursday night’s preseason game on the app. Again, it was easy to navigate. Due to some family plans, I didn’t start the game after it after aired. Jacob Tobey and Sean Elliott were the hosts, so not too much changed. There was no pregame or postgame and I am curious if this is just during preseason or if those will eventually be added to the DAZN content.
One criticism. When I went to watch the game, the screen that takes you to the game reveals the score. Personally, I prefer not to know the outcome before I watch.
There is a cost, which for me is always a hesitation. But honestly, it gave me some time to reevaluate and cancel some other subscriptions. Which of course distracted from my time deleting old photos and videos to free up room in the cloud.
Speaking of, I better get back to work.
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 16: Shohei Ohtani #17 of Los Angeles Dodgers waves to Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers prior to the 94th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Globe Life Field on July 16, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Here we go again,” says the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in what is now a popular meme. For the third time in nine years, the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers face off in the National League Championship Series, and Brewers fans are hoping that this time they can get past the well-funded boogeymen who reside in the LA hills.
On paper, this year’s version of the Dodgers do not seem to be in as strong a position as they have the past two years, in which they’ve won back-to-back World Series titles. Yes, the starting rotation is formidable, as good as any we’ve seen in baseball in recent years. But Shohei Ohtani is banged up, key contributors in the lineup are a year older, and questions remain about the team’s bullpen.
Let’s take a position-by-position look at what each team has to offer, and determine who might have the edge in the series. I’ll list a few regular season stats with each players and give a quick breakdown, then determine who has the advantage.
Catcher
Brewers: William Contreras (2.9 bWAR, 108 OPS+, 18 HR), Gary Sánchez (0.6 bWAR, 112 OPS+, 12 HR)
Dodgers: Will Smith (1.7 bWAR, 115 OPS+, 10 HR), Hunter Feduccia (0.5 bWAR, 75 OPS+, 1 HR)
Contreras’s full-season numbers don’t look as good as they have in previous years — his 108 OPS+ was his worst in any of the five seasons in which he has played over 52 games. That doesn’t quite tell the whole story, though; Contreras was mired in a brutal slump that lasted most of July and August before he hit .292/.359/.562 over his last 23 games and then went 6-for-16 (.375) with two homers against the Padres in the Division Series. Sánchez is a capable backup who should get plenty of action as a pinch hitter in this series: by OPS+, Sánchez had his best season since 2019, and against left-handed pitching this season he hit .238/.366/.436. Sánchez also posted a career-best 16.7% walk rate, an elite mark, and showed the value of that patience during his at-bat against Mason Miller in the ninth inning of NLDS Game 2 on Sunday.
Smith has been one of the league’s premier catchers since his debut in 2019; from 2021-25, he had five straight seasons with at least 3.3 WAR and made three All-Star teams. But he struggled with health this season — an inflamed disc in his neck limited him to just 73 games, by far the fewest in any season since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Smith, who is now 31, still performed well when on the field, with a 115 OPS+ and 10 homers in those 73 games. After missing nearly three months with his neck injury, Smith returned to the lineup on September 1, and hit .290/.400/.548 over the final month, though he struggled in the NLDS, managing just a single in 16 at-bats.
Feduccia, acquired from the Rays at the trade deadline, was meant to be LA’s third-string catcher — a temporary backup to Dalton Rushing, who took over the starting job when Smith was injured. But Rushing is dealing with an elbow injury and cannot catch, and did not make the NLDS roster, so Feduccia is on the roster as a “break glass in case of emergency” backup.
Advantage: Brewers, but it’s slight. Contreras raked in the NLDS and Smith was awful, so this is mostly based on recency bias. I wouldn’t count on Smith staying down for long, though, as he was quite good for the entire month of September. Sánchez has way more value as a backup than Feduccia has; don’t be surprised if there are a couple of important Sánchez at-bats in the series.
First Base
Brewers: Jake Bauers (3.3 WAR, 140 OPS+, 26 HR), Andrew Vaughn (1.5 WAR, 130 OPS+, 6 HR)
Dodgers: Freddie Freeman (2.7 WAR, 118 OPS+, 16 HR)
Bauers and Vaughn combined for one of the more potent platoons in the majors this year. Bauers, in a surprising season, was amongst NL leaders in on-base percentage and OPS, finishing seventh among qualified NL hitters in OPS+. Vaughn was a capable complement, and after missing some time at the beginning of the season had what was, by rate stats, his best season, over 331 plate appearances. Vaughn has been used pretty strictly as a platoon player of late, and Pat Murphy chose to use him as a high-powered pinch-hitter against the Padres, so he got only two plate appearances in that series. With more lefties available for the Dodgers, Vaughn may get a start or two, but there is some logic to Murphy’s approach, giving him maximum flexibility to play defense and keeping a good defensive unit while keeping Bauers in the lineup.
Freeman is, of course, well on his way as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. He also recently turned 37 years old, and that age finally appears to be slowing down one of the best hitters of the 21st century. Freeman still had a good year — one of the iron men of modern baseball, Freeman played in 153 games (he’s played in at least 90% of his team’s games in every season since 2017) and was solid, with a .288/.362/.430 batting line, 32 doubles, and 16 homers. But that’s his worst season by OPS+ (118) since he was 22 years old way back in 2012, and his 2.7 WAR was his lowest total since that same 2012 season (even including 2020, when he played only 60 games but won the NL MVP). Freeman remains a dangerous hitter who has a ton of playoff experience, which showed in the NLDS, when he homered twice against his former team.
Advantage: Brewers, but again, it’s slight. Bauers and Vaughn’s combined performance was definitely better than Freeman’s over the course of the season, but I’m not about to doubt Freddie Freeman in the playoffs.
Second Base
Brewers: Brice Turang (7.3 WAR, 124 OPS+, 21 HR)
Dodgers: Tommy Edman (1.6 WAR, 97 OPS+, 8 HR), Miguel Rojas (0.8 WAR, 93 OPS+, 4 HR)
Turang was the league’s best second baseman in 2026, by a comfortable margin. He’s become a good offensive player with pop, he still runs the bases well, and he’s one of the league’s best defensive players. The only question here is whether Turang can shake whatever is bugging him in the postseason; since his offensive awakening during the summer of 2025, Turang has been unable to translate that success to the playoffs. In 55 plate appearances since the start of the 2025 postseason, Turang has just six hits (.118/.182/.196). He hit singles in each of the last two games of the Padres series and looked a little more comfortable at the plate in Game 4, so hopefully this is beginning to turn. The Brewers need him.
Edman is one of those guys who doesn’t seem threatening when he’s on almost any other team but then he joins the Dodgers for nothing and you can’t help but wonder how LA was allowed to get a guy like him. Edman is a versatile role player who, outside of his first couple of full seasons with the Cardinals in the early 2020s, hasn’t done a whole lot in the regular season. But he’s been a crucial part of the Dodgers’ World Series teams the last two years; he won NLCS MVP in 2024, and coming into this season was a .273/.303/.435 hitter in 32 playoff games with the Dodgers (in that same timespan, he hit .229/.280/.392 during the regular season). Edman went 0-for-7 against Atlanta, so hopefully the magic dust has worn off a bit.
Rojas is 37 and doesn’t figure to be a major part of this series, but he’s absolutely the kind of guy who you can’t believe just homered.
Advantage: Brewers. It’s not going to be an easy series for Turang, with Blake Snell and Tarik Skubal in LA’s rotation, but if he can find a way to break out offensively, it could be a key to the series.
Third Base
Brewers: Joey Ortiz (2.6 WAR, 101 OPS+, 9 HR), David Hamilton (1.8 WAR, 80 OPS+, 4 HR)
Dodgers: Max Muncy (4.1 WAR, 128 OPS+, 29 HR), Kiké Hernández (-0.1 WAR, 82 OPS+, 4 HR)
Ortiz had a roller-coaster season but hit .329/.379/.532 in 51 games after the All-Star break, a real sample. He also might be the Brewers’ best defensive player. Hamilton is one of this team’s more divisive players, but it certainly looks like Murphy prefers him in matchups versus right-handed pitching at the moment. Hamilton is not the defensive player that Ortiz is, and while he’s a better hitter against righties (.668 OPS), he still wasn’t as good statistically against them as Ortiz, the right-hander, was (.768 OPS, significantly better than against LHP). Ortiz mostly didn’t look good against the Padres — just one hit in 11 PA — but he did hit the ball hard into outs a couple times.
Muncy, who turned 36 at the end of August, somehow just had one of his best seasons. He graded as a solid defensive third baseman, hit for his highest batting average since 2018, and slugged 29 homers, the fifth time in his career he’s had at least that many. By WAR, it was the fourth-best season of Muncy’s 11-year career and his highest total since 2021. Qualitatively, he’s just one of those guys who it feels like he’s going to pop a homer every time he swings the bat. I hate it.
Speaking of things I hate: Hernández is 34, and over the last five seasons is a .225/.281/.360 hitter. In that same timespan, in the playoffs, he is a .271/.317/.411 hitter. He went just 1-for-6 in the NLDS, but his one hit was, of course, a homer. There’s a very good chance he does something extremely annoying during this series.
Advantage: Dodgers. Muncy is a dangerous hitter. Ortiz’s defense will help, but this is the most likely spot on the roster to be a complete offensive black hole.
Shortstop
Brewers: Cooper Pratt (1.7 WAR, 99 OPS+, 3 HR)
Dodgers: Mookie Betts (3.9 WAR, 113 OPS+, 23 HR), Hyesong Kim (0.5 WAR, 81 OPS+, 1 HR)
Pratt debuted in mid-June when Ortiz’s season had hit a low point. Most expected him to be a good defensive player who would struggle offensively. As it happened, Pratt held his own offensively — he was just about exactly a league average hitter in 74 games, and the defense was as advertised. At least until the NLDS, when Pratt committed as almost as many errors in four games — three — as he had in his 74 regular season contests (five). Pratt did pick up a few hits, including a ground-rule double, against San Diego, though, and looked like he belonged.
At shortstop we meet the Dodgers’ second future Hall-of-Famer, one of the best defensive right fielders of all time, Mookie Betts. Betts looked on his way to an underwhelming season at the plate, but he salvaged his season with a scorching-hot September; he hit .337/.438/.674 with seven homers and nine doubles in 23 games. Perhaps beneficial for the Brewers, that didn’t seem to carry over into the NLDS, where he was 3-for-14 with three singles and three walks.
Kim doesn’t matter much — if he’s not replaced on the NLCS roster, he’s probably just here as a pinch-runner and potential defensive substitute.
Advantage: Dodgers. Pratt is a nice player and Betts, who turned 34 on Wednesday, isn’t what he used to be. But if he’s anything like the hitter he was in September, he could carry the whole Dodger offense on his back.
Outfield
Brewers: Jackson Chourio (4.9 WAR, 129 OPS+, 25 HR), Garrett Mitchell (3.4 WAR, 112 OPS+, 11 HR), Sal Frelick (-0.5 WAR, 70 OPS+, 4 HR), Luis Lara (1.2 WAR, 77 OPS+, 1 HR)
Dodgers: Teoscar Hernández (1.0 WAR, 108 OPS+, 16 HR), Andy Pages (6.0 WAR, 122 OPS+, 23 HR), Kyle Tucker (0.7 WAR, 97 OPS+, 17 HR, $60 million), Josue De Paula (0.5 WAR, 198 OPS+, 1 HR)
Chourio’s batting line in the NLDS (3-for-16, a homer, six RBIs) belies the fact that he was on everything. Chourio looked like a star in the series, even if he only had three hits — all three of them major, clutch, run-scoring hits that either tied the game or gave the Brewers the lead — to show for it.
Mitchell should be coming into the NLCS feeling confident. After a tepid showing in the NLDS’s first three games (a couple of hits, but six strikeouts in 12 plate appearances), Mitchell was the star of the show in the clincher, where he hit a triple and an RBI single, scored a run, and robbed Manny Machado of the game-tying homer in the eighth. Frelick, battling a series of nagging injuries, had an awful season, but he looked like the vintage version of himself against the Padres, when he started three of four games, hit .333 with a couple RBI, a stolen base, and a couple runs scored, and threw out a runner at third base. Lara struggled to hit down the stretch (an abysmal .188/.243/.203 in September) but worked a walk and saw a lot of pitches in his one start in the Padres series and will always give you elite defense in right field.
Pages is the Dodgers’ best outfielder and their best position player under 30. Depending on your preferred defensive metric, he grades as one of the best defensive outfielders in the league (DRS has him even higher than Pete Crow-Armstrong) and he’s a good hitter. He started incredibly hot, though — he had an OPS over 1.000 after about a month — and hit a much more modest .259/.343/.414 from June 1 until the end of the season. He missed about a month toward the end of the season after fracturing a bone in his hand but hit well over the season’s last week after he returned. He had four singles and a couple RBIs against the Braves.
Hernández is slowing down — he turns 34 next week, and he’s seen a significant downturn offensively in the last two years from his peak seasons (2020-24). He remains a potent weapon versus lefties — .303/.392/.515 this season — so the Brewers will need to prioritize matchups in his case. Tucker is one of the bigger disappointments in recent years after signing an immense contract before the season; he looked like a shell of himself, and after five straight seasons with between 4.5 and 5.5 WAR, he looked lost at the plate for most of the season and, despite being healthy, finished with an OPS that was nearly 100 points lower than any other season of the last six years. His defense, a traditional strength (he won a Gold Glove in 2022) also graded out poorly. Tucker is only 29 — not sure what happened.
De Paula is a mega prospect who was promoted straight from Double-A to the big leagues when Ohtani went on the IL late in the season. He hit .323/.500/.581 in 42 plate appearances, and went 0-for-1 with a walk against the Braves.
Advantage: Brewers. Let’s call Chourio and Pages a wash (though I’d rather have Chourio); Mitchell was far better than anything the Dodgers got from Hernández or Tucker this season, and if Frelick looks like he did in the Padres series, he’s better than either of those guys, too. LA’s “other” guys have the ability to change a game with a homer, but are likely to be net negatives, especially over a longer series.
Designated Hitter
Brewers: Christian Yelich (0.1 WAR, 91 OPS+, 12 HR)
Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani (3.2 WAR as hitter, 143 OPS+, 26 HR)
Yelich struggled this season. We know it, he knows it. He turns 35 soon, and this is probably just how it’s going to be for him moving forward. But Yelich, who was better in the second half than the first and flashed some solid indicators for quite a while, was lively in the NLDS — he hit .357 (5-for-14) with a double and an RBI, he stole a couple of bases, he walked a couple times, and he had a couple of bad-luck hard-hit balls — a shot to deep center that looked like it was going to tie the game in Game 2 but was caught, and his 107-mph game-ending double play in Game 3.
Even whatever optimized version of 34-year-old Yelich is going to be at a disadvantage against the game’s biggest star, though. Ohtani is banged up — he’s been dealing with knee and biceps injuries, neither serious enough to threaten his season but bad enough that he had an IL stint late in the season to try to get healthy. He doesn’t look healthy. In early summer, it looked like he was on his way to a fourth straight MVP — he was hitting .296/.412/.542 at the end of June and pitching as well as we have ever seen from him. But the pitching went first — his last appearance as a pitcher came on July 3, and while he stayed in the lineup after that, there was a downturn in results that accelerated as we got closer to the end of the season. The former home run champ hasn’t hit one out since August 18, and in 18 games from then to the end of the season he hit just .157/.289/.214. He hit two singles and walked twice in 16 plate appearances against Atlanta, and batted fifth and fourth in the lineup in the series’ last two games, after batting first or second in literally every time he’d been in the Dodger lineup the last three years.
Advantage: Dodgers. I’m still giving it to Shohei, but it really doesn’t seem like he’s healthy, and there’s a real chance Yelich outperforms him.
Starting Pitching
Brewers: Jacob Misiorowski (6.5 bWAR, 1.80 ERA, 2.17 FIP), Logan Henderson (3.3 bWAR, 2.47 ERA, 3.32 FIP), Robert Gasser (1.3 bWAR, 3.87 ERA, 4.24 FIP), Dustin May (0.3 bWAR, 5.65 ERA and 5.06 FIP with Brewers)
The Brewers might have the best pitcher in this series, but the Dodgers are boasting a gauntlet unlike we’ve seen in the majors in some time — who was the last No. 4 starter as good as Glasnow? I’ve ordered LA’s pitchers here in the order that they pitched against Atlanta. Skubal, who of course was heavily tied to the Brewers in trade rumors, mostly shut down the Braves for six innings in Game 1; he allowed two hits, two walks, and a run while striking out seven. Skubal has a long history of postseason performance, too; he has a 1.97 ERA and 2.18 FIP in 45 2/3 career postseason innings.
Snell wasn’t sharp against the Braves — he held them to one run but walked five guys in 3 2/3 innings. But during the regular season (which, aside from one rough outing in May, didn’t start for Snell until August 11), Snell was as sharp as he has ever been: over eight starts since permanently joining the rotation in August, Snell allowed only five runs — never more than a single run in one outing — in 39 2/3 innings (a 1.13 ERA). He struck out 50 and walked 14, looking every bit of the guy who’d won Cy Youngs in Tampa and San Diego. Those who haven’t blocked it out will also remember that Snell utterly dominated Milwaukee in last year’s NLCS, when he struck out 10, walked zero, and allowed only one hit in eight shutout innings in Game 1.
Yamamoto is the Dodgers’ No. 3, a guy who finished third in Cy Young voting and won the World Series MVP last season. He was just as good this year as he was last year and shut down the Braves in his one start in the NLDS. Glasnow, the fourth starter, had a 3.53 ERA and 2.74 FIP in 74 innings this season and held the Braves to one run in 4 2/3 innings in the series clincher on Wednesday.
On the Milwaukee side, Misiorowski will look to get past his shaky start versus the Padres — two runs in four innings, in which he needed 88 pitches despite just one walk. Miz handled the Dodgers in his only start against them this season, when he allowed one run in six innings with six strikeouts.
Henderson was a bit shaky as well at the beginning of his outing against San Diego but settled in nicely. He allowed two runs, but he had no help from his defense (only one of those was earned). Gasser pitched well against the Padres and on paper he’s got a better matchup against the Dodgers, who rely on more lefties than the Padres do — I’d definitely slot him in ahead of May in this series. Milwaukee will probably need a fourth starter — I’d be surprised if Misiorowski pitched on three days’ rest in game four — and that might be the longtime Dodger May, but they also might just do a bullpen game (or effectively do a bullpen game with May getting a shot once through the order, or something like that).
Advantage: Dodgers. This is one of the best four-man rotations I’ve ever seen. Misiorowski can beat any of them, but LA has three different guys who can match him on any given day. The Brewers will have their work cut out for them, and their best bet in this series is to grind out at-bats against the starters and try to get to the bullpen as quickly as possible.
In the NLDS, there was a lot of talk about the Padres and their league-best bullpen heading into the series. But the Brewers got to Adrián Morejon in Game 1 and Mason Miller in Game 2, while their own bullpen — which at this point might be flying under the radar a bit as a major strength — allowed just one earned run in 19 innings against San Diego. Both Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe may have gotten away with a couple of near homers, but Aaron Ashby looked as good as he’s ever looked in game four, and the Brewers got solid work from DL Hall, Antonio Senzatela, and JoJo Romero, as well. With the higher concentration of lefties that the Dodger lineup presents, expect Shane Drohan and Kyle Harrison to have roles in this series, as well. Chad Patrick may have fallen off the trust tree with his September control issues, but we’ll see.
The Dodgers aren’t in as bad of shape here as they have been at times in the past, but I wouldn’t call the bullpen a major strength. After a disaster of a season in 2025, lefty Tanner Scott fixed himself, and had an excellent season in which he saved 25 games.
It wasn’t Scott closing games in the NLDS, though: the Dodgers went with the right-handed Edwin Díaz, despite his 8.68 ERA during the regular season. Díaz is one of the best closers of his time — he’s got a solid argument as the best reliever in his league at least twice — and he was really good for the Mets in 2025. But after his big contract in LA, something has been wrong. He’s spent some time on the injured list but there doesn’t seem to be a major injury issue — he just started walking guys and giving up hard contact. The Dodgers gambled a bit by using Díaz to close back-to-back games in Atlanta after he pitched a scoreless inning in LA’s Game 2 loss, and he’s now riding three straight scoreless outings in which he hasn’t walked anyone into the NLCS. If Díaz is fixed, that’s bad news for the Brewers… but his strikeouts are also down (three strikeouts in three innings in the postseason, well below his typical numbers) and Ozzie Albies got him for a double off the wall on Tuesday, so who knows. It’s a major wildcard in this series.
Other notables here include the flamethrowing Henriquez, the reliable lefty Alex Vesia, and converted-ish starters Sasaki and Bubic. The Dodgers only carried eight relievers in the NLDS, and it’s very possible that they’ll replace either De Paula or Kim with another reliever (Jack Dreyer? Justin Wrobleski?) for the longer NLCS.
Advantage: Brewers. Milwaukee has more depth in their pen. Scott is really good and there are a few good pitchers here, but there are some questions about roles, and Díaz is a major question mark. The Brewers also match up well with all the left-handed hitters (Ohtani, Freeman, Muncy, Tucker) in the Dodgers’ lineup.
Wrapping up
I accidentally wrote 4,000 words, so I’ll keep this brief:
Catcher: Brewers First Base: Brewers Second Base: Brewers, big time Third Base: Dodgers Shortstop: Dodgers Outfield: Brewers Designated Hitter: Dodgers, maybe, unless Ohtani is as hurt as he looks Starting Rotation: Dodgers, big time Bullpen: Brewers
The Brewers are better at more places on the field, but the Dodgers’ rotation is a major equalizer. Overall, these are two pretty evenly matched teams. If the Brewers can be pesky against the Dodgers’ starters and force them to throw a lot of pitches, I like their chances. But if they can’t find a way to get through Skubal, Snell, and Yamamoto (they couldn’t last year, at least in the case of the latter two) and into the bullpen, it may not matter much.
